The Education System Failed My Child In Math

I chose to send my child to a charter school for elementary, and an optional school for High School and Junior High. She spent 4th and 5th grade at a Montessori school. The Montessori School was probably the biggest mistake I made in her education. We chose a smaller environment for her, and for the most part she thrived.

She is a bright, intelligent young lady, yet she has always struggled with math. Our school district uses Everyday Math, which teaches "concepts" rather than rote memorization. This might be fine as a supplement, but without the basic building blocks, and yes, that includes memorizing math facts and multiplication tables, the concepts are lost. The two years spent at Montessori served to confuse her even further. The teacher didn't "teach" math, she handed out worksheets. They used various methods of manipulating objects to learn multiplication and division, but again, without rote memorization, the concepts simply did not stick.

Now, she's in college. I am thankful that she's taking a basic math class, along with a math lab. With luck, studying, and hard work, she will be able to revisit those concepts she didn't master in her earlier education.

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As a college professor, I have noticed this decline in US education since the 80s. I am thrilled that, as a parent, you know that some things, in math for instance, are not exciting or entertaining but nevertheless need to be taught. For math, science, English, history, psychology, etc. our K12 system has replaced facts, thinking, and work ethic with 'whole thinking' and 'feelings'. I taught Academic Writing to sophomores at a very good public university in the US from 05 to 08. I loved these kids, but truthfully they couldn't write their way out of a paper bag--and I was not allowed to 'give' anything but As (only 1 B+ in five semesters). So, because students are getting 12 years of 'you are special' education, now colleges and universities are following suit--making courses easy, while raising tuition to ridiculous levels to pay for lavish facilities. My advice is to keep up with your daughters learning in college to make sure she's getting an actual education. I think parents should 'occupy' college campuses and demand that sky high tuitions be explained in light of the fact that businesses and professional schools, for instance, are reporting new hires and candidates that are incapable of reading, writing, and computation--and worse yet, incapable of following rules, or listening to supervisors, or working with peers effectively. I am waiting for the first lawsuit...

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